But Kher, himself a National Award winning actor, alleges that ‘Award Wapsi’ is defaming India by projecting a “wrong” picture.

“India is a very tolerant country. Some people have coined the term ‘growing intolerance’. They are very few. Not every Indian thinks like that. We are secular people. We do not believe in pseudo-secularism, selective outrage or selective patriotism.”

His concern is that such selective outrage will tarnish India’s image abroad.

Industry leaders have already hinted that investors are growing concerned about ‘intolerance’ in India.

Citing the recent episodes of communal insensitivity, Vikram Mehta, Chairman of Brookings India, writes in The Financial Express that investors are asking whether India is “indeed liberal, tolerant and democratic, or is it conservative, atavistic and authoritarian”.

“The argument that India has confronted many incidents of religious and social intolerance in the past carries no weight. What carries weight is the perception that India’s future will be grounded on values of liberalism, equality, tolerance and inclusion.”